The present invention relates generally to boots for animals and in particular, to an improved boot and harness swimming system for use by an animal, preferably a dog, in a swimming pool.
Animal lovers, such as dog lovers, get significant enjoyment from engaging and playing with their pets. One source of significant enjoyment is playing with their dogs in the water. Almost everyone at one time or another has watched a dog run along a beach and into the surf. Swimming in a lake, pond or ocean by a dog is quite easy as the dog merely does what comes naturally.
Unfortunately, dogs are not often welcome in swimming pools due to the likelihood that their sharp nails on their paws will scratch people in the pool and/or otherwise damage the pool liner.
The inventor herein is unaware of any boot that can be worn by an animal, and preferably a dog, that effectively protects both the people in the pool playing with the dog and the swimming pool liner, and also simultaneously minimizes the inconvenience or uncomfortableness to the dog. Moreover, the inventor is unaware of any boot that effectively permits the dog to swim with minimal restraints on its own natural swimming motion. Moreover, the prior art is deficient in effectively maintaining the boots on the dog's paws while the dog is swimming or otherwise just standing in the pool.
The prior art appears to contain examples of protective footwear for dogs related to the cold, examples of which are illustrated in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,633,817; 4,744,333 and 5,148,657. Other examples of dog boots are described and illustrated in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,408,812; D375,586; D376,448 and D417,530. As can been seen therein, none of the prior art appear adaptable for use in swimming, as disclosed and claimed herein.
Therefore, the prior art is completely deficient in recognizing or overcoming the perceived deficiencies set forth above.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide an improved boot and harness swimming system that permits an animal, and preferably a dog, to swim as naturally as possible in a swimming pool while simultaneously protecting both people in the pool that are playing with the dog and the pool itself from damage. The present invention overcomes the perceived deficiencies in the prior art and further achieves the aforementioned and below mentioned objectives.